Album Review: The Fake Boys – I Love My Life When You’re Around

Lowell, Massachusetts’s three piece The Fake Boys did things a little differently this time around. The band had a bunch of songs recorded and ended up needing to press a double album. So they tapped into their fan base setting up a Go Fund Me to get the newest record, I Love My Life When You’re Around made. And they did it. ILMLWYA was pressed to vinyl and released via California’s Animal Style Records. The album in its essence oozes elements of The Ramones meets Diarrhea Planet crossed with White Fence and doused with 90’s alt rock.

I Love My Life When You’re Around is a pretty easy listen and gets your head moving with high-energy guitars and jangly noise rock. The album starts off with a punchy tune called “Newz” with gritty vocals, heavy guitar distortion and prominent drums. “Red, White and Bouge” features ripping guitars, garage punk wails and is anthemic in it’s own right, “I’ve got a right to be myself, I don’t care what you think.” “This Is” is about growing up and its changes with howling gritty vocal delivery to emphasize all those feels. “Thick Pop” has the drive and energy to power you through hitting a ramonesque sweet spot in the chorus and throughout the ending.

The Fake Boys added more of a psychedelic flair to their repertoire and a constant influx of choppy guitar and noise. This is a good fuzz rock record with distorted vocals and guitars penetrating your ears. What you get on I Love My Life When You’re Around is a vast array of styles from punk to garage to shoegaze all the while keeping your interest peaked. Keep a listen out for gems such as “Brainfog” and “Wet Mutt.” “Brainfog” is full on heavy in a similar vein as Fuzz/Ty Segall Band, with drippy distortion and metal undertones while “Wet Mutt” is more mellow and chill but still rips.

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About The Author

Chelsea Conte is a graduate of Rutgers University with a B.A. in Communication. She's a freelance writer based in New Jersey who enjoys running, making bad puns and eating macaroni and cheese. Follow her @chelseaconte